Last year, Brazil planted 3.5 million (28% of all crops) new hectares of transgenic crops, whereas the United States added only 3.1 million (25%). Developing economies accounted for 43% of global biotech crop area, with a growth rate of 21%. In industrialized countries, the rate of expansion of transgenic crops in 2007 slowed to 6%. Chile and Poland cultivated transgenic crops for the first time, and the first transgenic tree (a transgenic plum variety) was approved in the US. Globally, herbicide- or insect-resistant soybeans, maize and cotton predominated, although yield/nutritional quality traits and stacked traits rose in popularity.

Historical global area of transgenic crops

Global area of biotech crops by trait

2007 US and EU transgenic crop approvals

EU transgenic crop field trials

Global area of biotech crops by country

Transgenic crops as a share of total US crops